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JOINT-CIRCULAR No. 103/2001/TTLT-BTC-BVGCP-BVHTT-BNG OF DECEMBER 24, 2001 GUIDING THE SUBSIDIES FOR TRANSPORT FREIGHT OF CULTURAL PUBLICATIONS AND AIRFARES FOR ART TROUPES TRAVELING ABROAD FOR PERFORMANCE IN SERVICE OF OVERSEAS VIETNAMESE COMMUNITIES

Pursuant to the Prime Minister?s Decision No. 210/1999/QD-TTg of October 27, 1999 on a number of policies towards overseas Vietnamese;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister?s Decision No. 114/2001/QD-TTg of July 31, 2001 amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decision No. 210/1999/QD-TTg of October 27, 1999 on a number of policies towards overseas Vietnamese;

The Ministry of Finance, the Government Pricing Committee, the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs hereby jointly guide the allocation of subsidies for transport freight of films and photos, books and newspapers, cultural articles, tourism-promotion publications, and propaganda documents to overseas Vietnamese communities; as well as for airfares for domestic art troupes traveling abroad for performance in service of overseas Vietnamese communities as follows:

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. The subsidies shall be given to transport freight of films and photos, newspapers, books, cultural products, tourism-promotion publications, and propaganda documents (hereinafter referred to as cultural publications) to overseas Vietnamese communities, and to airfares for domestic art troupes traveling abroad for performance in service of overseas Vietnamese communities.

2. Conditions for enjoying subsidies for transport freight of cultural publications:

- Being organizations having the function of doing business in the field of cultural publication publishing and distribution and permits to export cultural publications abroad;

- The cultural publications having been published and distributed nationwide in service of the political task of propagating the Party?s and State?s policies and not in violation of the provisions of Article 22 of the Publishing Law;

- Being included in the list and the volume of cultural publications selected for transport freight subsidies in service of overseas Vietnamese communities.

3. Conditions for enjoying airfare subsidies:

- Being art troupes with special performance programs which satisfy the requirements of propagating and disseminating the Party?s and State?s policies.

- Being recommended by the Ministry of Culture and Information or the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for performance in service of overseas Vietnamese communities.

4. Subsidizing principles:

a) The transport freight subsidies shall be given to units performing the task of transporting cultural publications abroad in service of Vietnamese communities according to the actually transported quantities of cultural publications, and which, however, must not exceed the quantities and categories already announced.

b) The airfare and freight subsidies shall be given to art troupes according to the actual numbers of people and instruments (in direct service of the art programs) sent abroad for performances in service of Vietnamese communities, which, however, must not exceed the permitted numbers of people and instruments, already announced.

c) The transport freight and airfare subsidies shall not be given to units which are fully provided with funds from the State budget or other sources.

5. Subsidy levels

- The freight subsidy level shall be equal to 50% of the total transport freight of cultural publications already paid to transport units (by land, railway, waterway, air or post).

- The subsidy levels shall be equal to 50% of the airfares (economy class) and 50% of the instrument transport freight already paid to Vietnam Airlines or other airways (in cases where Vietnam Airlines does not open air routes).

II. SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

A ? COMPILATION OF PLANS AND SUBSIDY FUNDING ESTIMATES

1. Annually, based on the demand for propagation among overseas Vietnamese communities, the cultural publications already distributed in the country, art programs already staged and performed, and the annual balance capability of the State budget, the Ministry of Culture and Information shall coordinate with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the concerned ministries and branches in working out the detailed plans on the quantity of each category of cultural publications, as well as the numbers of people and instruments of art troupes, which have performance programs in service of overseas Vietnamese communities. On that basis, the Ministry of Culture and Information shall make general estimates of funding for transport freight subsidies and send them to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment, together with its annual budget plan.

2. The Ministry of Finance shall, basing itself on subsidy funding estimates made by the Ministry of Culture and Information, assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in inspecting and including them in the State budget plans which shall be reported to the Government for submission to the National Assembly for the latter to decide the total price and transport freight subsidies to be annually allocated from the State budget.

B ? IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLANS AND ALLOCATION OF SUBSIDY FUNDING

1. On the basis of the subsidy funding already ratified and included in the assigned State budget, the Ministry of Culture and Information shall have to announce the quantity of cultural publications, as well as the number of people and instruments to be brought along by art troupes for performances in service of overseas Vietnamese communities, and send the estimates of subsidy funding allocation for each eligible unit to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Investment. The Ministry of Finance shall, basing itself on the proposal of the Ministry of Culture and Information, announce the level of funding to be allocated to each unit. The subsidies announced in one year shall be allocated in that year. If the eligible units fail to use them, they shall not be allowed to transfer such amounts to the following year.

2. Units included in the list of those eligible for subsidy funding, after completing the transportation of cultural publications or after completing the art performances in foreign countries, shall have to compile dossiers of application for subsidy funding strictly according to quantities of cultural publications actually transported, the number of artists and the volume of instruments actually sent abroad for performances in service of overseas Vietnamese communities, then send such dossiers to the Ministry of Finance and the provincial/municipal Finance-Pricing Services of the localities where they are headquartered (for locally-run units) for the latter to consider and allocate subsidy funding.

3. A dossier of application for subsidy funding includes:

- The written announcement or recommendation letter of the Ministry of Culture and Information or the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on the transportation of cultural publications or art performances in service of overseas Vietnamese communities;

- The list of performers and instruments of the art troupe approved by the Ministry of Culture and Information, the invoices on air ticket purchase; instrument transportation bill; and cultural publication transportation bill;

- The certification by the diplomatic mission of the locality where the art troupe shall give art performances or where the cultural publications are delivered and distributed;

- The written request for airfare subsidy allocation of the art troupe, or the written request for transport freight subsidy allocation of the cultural publication-exporting unit;

- The Finance Ministry?s written announcement on the allocation of funding for the unit.

4. The Ministry of Finance shall check, ratify and allocate subsidy funding for units as follows:

a) For units, which have their cultural publications transported overseas, and central art troupes, the Ministry of Finance shall directly allocate subsidies to the units by issuing money-spending order.

b) For cultural publication-transporting units and local art troupes, the Ministry of Finance shall allocate subsidies in the form of authorized funding allocation to the provincial/municipal Finance-Pricing Services for further allocation to the units.

c) The accounting of subsidy funding shall be made in compliance with the current State budget regimes.

5. Units, which are allocated subsidy funding from the State budget, shall have to use it for the right purposes and make final settlement according to the regulations of the current financial management regimes. The provincial/municipal Finance-Pricing Services shall make the final settlement of authorized funding with the Ministry of Finance according to the current regulations.

It is strictly prohibited to use subsidy funding for other purposes.

III. IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

1. The allocation of subsidies for transport freight of cultural publications and airfares for art troupes travelling abroad for performances in service of overseas Vietnamese communities shall be effected step by step suitable to the actual situation and capability of the State budget.

2. In order to facilitate the subsidy allocation in service of overseas Vietnamese communities, the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs shall have to immediately estimate the subsidy funding which shall serve as basis for the allocation from the 2002 State budget.

3. On the work of examination and inspection: The ministries shall have to coordinate with one another in inspecting the use of subsidy funding for transport freight of cultural publications and airfares for art troupes traveling abroad for performance in service of overseas Vietnamese communities, and timely handle cases of violations according to the current regulations.

4. This Circular takes effect after its signing.

In the course of implementation, if any troubles arise, they should be reported to the Ministry of Finance, the Government Pricing Committee, the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for study and settlement.

For the Minister of Finance

Vice Minister
TRAN VAN TA

For the Director of the Government Pricing Committee

Vice Director
HO XUAN HUNG

For the Minister of Culture and Information

Vice Minister
LUU TRAN TIEU

For the Minister for Foreign Affairs

Vice Minister
NGUYEN DINH BIN\